


A Gift From The Moon

by Utini501



Category: Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Gen, Humor, Monsters, NaNoWriMo, Youkai
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:42:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27594308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Utini501/pseuds/Utini501
Summary: Takeo Yoshida is a sullen old bamboo cutter living in a cabin secluded from society, with no company aside from a loudmouthed umbrella demon. His love and passion for his craft died years ago and he lives in abject poverty, yet the stubborn old wolfman throws himself into his work day in and day out, trying and failing to block out how empty and lonely his life is.But that changes one crazy night, where Takeo finds a strange ship seemingly beamed down from the moon itself, and inside is a delicate, beautiful, ethereal baby girl. But it's instantly clear that she's no ordinary child: she's the size of his thumb, grows and matures impossibly fast, and is viciously pursued by malicious spirits and demons with dark designs for her. And so Takeo and his umbrella companion Bakageta set off to travel the world, having no choice but to keep the baby safe while they find out just what her deal is. And while he may not appreciate having his life suddenly derailed, maybe it's the kind of thing Takeo needed to break him out of his cold, grumpy shell...(Written as a late NaNoWriMo project)
Kudos: 1





	1. The Old Woodcutter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The light has gone out of my life."- Theodore Roosevelt

"Gooooooood morning, Takeo! It's 4 AM this beautiful Sunday morning, and wouldya believe it? It's GORGEOUS out there! Birds are singing, crickets are chirping, and the demons! By the gods, are they in a mood for mischief today! And believe me when I say this is coming from first-hand experience! On my way to the studio a beautiful kitsune maiden just threw herself right at me, with lust in her eyes and her body a-quivering! She REALLY wanted to rustle my paper, if you catch my meaning! And I bet there's more where that came from, meaning that you too can get frisky with a fox lady as long as you get your fuzzy little butt in gear and **WAKE UP!** "

Takeo Yoshida was indeed awake, he had been for over an hour. His amber eyes blinked dully and his ears drooped as he stared into the darkness of his barren bedroom, and the look on the wolfman's face was so forlorn and miserable that it served as the perfect contrast to the one-eyed umbrella monster hopping around his room like a loon.

"I am already awake, Bakageta."

"Are you now?!" the umbrella demon scoffed, "For an early riser you sure love laying around! C'mon man, bamboo doesn't just cut itself-"

The umbrella demon had hopped too close during his scolding, and found himself being clutched in Takeo's ironclad grip around a rough approximation of where his throat would be in his red paper/wooden pole body.

**"I know. Now be silent."**

_"I will! I will! Now lemme go, you're gonna- you're gonna crease my paper-!"_

Takeo relinquished his deathgrip on Bakageta, and the demon flopped onto the ground wheezing and gasping as he smoothed out his papery "skin" with his clawed, strangely fleshy hands. The old wolf rose from his cot on the floor and popped his back. His aching muscles were feeling particularly sore today, but it couldn't be helped: he had a busy day ahead of him, and he couldn't afford to slack off just because he was feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Bakageta, once I leave I expect you to clean the kitchen table and sharpen my tools."

"I will, your chokiness!" Bakageta said with a hiss, glaring as he stomped his single foot on the ground, "Ya want me to draw a flea bath as well? Maybe fetch you a milk bone?!"

"Stop trying to wake me up with your newscaster routine. You are not as funny as you think."

Bakageta shrugged. "Well if you'd just... I dunno, _get a new TV,_ I wouldn't have to fill in for the newscasters!"

Takeo looked back at the CRT-TV sitting across from his cot, and sighed. Aside from two shelves of dusty books and a few bamboo sculptures, it was one of the only pleasure items he really had, and it had been useless for the past few years after burning itself out. He never cared too much for it, but it was good at keeping Bakageta from causing trouble. Still, a replacement wasn't exactly the kind of thing he could afford right now.

"With all due respect Bakageta, we need _every_ bit of zenny I earn to survive. Television will do neither of us good if we cannot afford food or medicine."

"Then I'm gonna have to tell you the same thing I've _been_ telling you these past few years: _Get! A! Better! Job!_ Surely a guy as stuffy and pretentious as you can do better than hacking and whacking at bamboo all day!"

Changing from out of his night-robe and into a white shirt and khakis, Takeo glared at Bakageta. "Out of the question. By my honor as a craftsman-"

The umbrella demon rolled his singular eye. "Yep, here we go with that tired old "MY HONOR!" schtick! Look pal, what good is honor if you're miserable?! You really think that Emiko would-"

Takeo's response wasn't a cutting remark or dry sarcasm, but a snarl of frustration as he stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him. The mouthy Bakageta rambled and ranted on, but is words were drowned out by the old wolf's mental outrage.

_'How dare he... How DARE he speak for her?! He knows nothing of Emiko, where does he get off acting like he knows what she would want?! By the gods, I should have burned that stupid umbrella before it had the chance to come to life...'_

Now that he was emotionally frazzled as well as in physical pain, Takeo wished he could drink himself into a stupor. Just suppress the pain with some sake, or whiskey... but when his job relied on him being able to drive through the wilderness, properly swing an axe, and be ready to fend off any stray animals or demons that tried to mess with him, getting drunk was a death sentance. So as he prepared some jasmine tea and ate a raw salmon straight from the fridge, Takeo could only stand in the lonely darkness of his kitchen, and try his hardest to ignore the suffocating dismal loneliness it had to it. The table covered in wood shavings and half-finished bamboo carvings, more dusty bookshelves, stained couch cushions that had been ravaged by moths, the eternally empty crib in the corner... this house had once been happier, and full of life. But even the wild parties Bakageta held with visiting Yokai did little to liven it up. 

Maybe if Emiko were here, things would be better.

* * *

_"Oh my gods- TAKEO! Takeo! Takeo Takeo TAKEO, come over here and LOOK!"_

_Takeo yawned as he set his axe near a stalk of bamboo as his excited wife ran to his side. "Emiko, please keep it down. It's five in the morning, and I still haven't quite been able to wake up..."_

_The excited fox woman rolled her brilliant yellow eyes. "Come on, you lazy bum! You've been awake for over an hour, there's no way you can still be tired!"_

_"Yes, I did wake up an hour ago... at 4 in the morning. Please dear, you know that mornings have never been kind to me..."_

_"Well once you see what I've seen, you'll be singing a different tune! Now come on and LOOK! I swear, if you miss it you're gonna hate yourself for the rest of your life!"_

_In spite of how tired he was, Takeo grinned as Emiko ran off. Her brilliant orange fur, her undying optimism, the fiery passion that burned in her heart... she was like a flame, burning bright and strong under the early morning sky. And her fiery zeal was infectious, because he could feel the drowsiness losing its hold as he picked up the pace and chased after her into that grove of bamboo. It was exactly the kind of energy he needed to get going in his day to day life, and had been ever since the two of them were lovestruck teenagers. That energy persisted into his adulthood, and had allowed him to catch up to Emiko. The wolfman took the vixen's hand, and for the briefest of moments the two locked eyes..._

_"AGH!"_

_And it turned out that those brief moments afforded him plenty of time to trip over a stray rock and faceplant onto the ground while dragging Emiko down with him. Luckily for her, she caught herself on the way down and was able to get up almost immediately while Takeo sputtered and coughed as he spat out stray dirt from his mouth._

_"Might wanna watch the road, you klutz!"_

_Takeo blushed and awkwardly cleared his throat while he got to his feet. "My apologies, dear. I was... distracted."_

_That grin. That foxy, flirty grin. Takeo never failed to clam up when Emiko flashed it at him, and he felt as weak in the knees as the first day he saw it years ago. "Ooh, distracted, you say? Am I really so gorgeous that you can't even walk right around me?"_

_"No- wait I mean YES! You are gorgeous but... no wait, I'm not blaming you for-"_

_And now the laughter. It usually followed the grin, and left him just as flustered with its melodic playfulness._

_"I know what you mean, you sly dog. Just keep your head in the game, and save the ogling for when we jump in the shower back home~"_

_The mere hint of cleavage as Emiko tugged on the collar of her denim shirt made the grey-furred Takeo go beet-red in the face. "Y-Yes, my dear."_

_"Good! Now hurry, he's probably still here, assuming your little tumble didn't scare him off!_

* * *

The bamboo forest was only a mere twenty minutes' drive away from his own forested home, but it took Takeo a few minutes longer to find an ideal parking spot. There was plenty of bamboo, sure, but most of it was younger, flimsier shoots. It would be years before they were ready for harvest, so for now Takeo had to settle for the older, firmer stalks. And those were getting harder and harder to come by: Takeo was far from the only bamboo cutter who frequented this forest. He had to compete with lumber workers sent in by companies the world over, who sought to use his artistic medium as material for houses and buildings, an admittedly more useful but far more mundane purpose. Takeo had hoped that the sheer amount of distance the forest covered meant he could co-exist with such titanic entities, but for the past decade or so he was eating their table scraps. He had to settle for the stray clumps of old bamboo they didn't harvest for whatever reason, and hope he could gather enough to make it through the colder months.

And he always did, even if he had to scrape by in borderline poverty.

_'Trust in the gods. They always provide, should you simply stay in tune to the world around you..._

He repeated that mantra as he trudged through clumps of green spring bamboo, and sure enough, he found a small cluster of slightly duller-colored stalks, helpfully marked with stripes of paint that identified them as being five years old, a trick he had picked up from Emiko. Takeo whispered a small prayer to the gods, and went right to work.

It took a good twenty, fifteen swings of his axe to fell each stalk of bamboo, and it aggravated his shoulders something fierce. It didn't take long for him to perpetually wince and groan through his work as his entire back began to burn in agony. His tail hung slack to the ground, his ears drooped, and he panted fiercely, but he worked diligently through the pain. He had to, there was no other choice. Unless of course he wanted to starve to death in that empty shack of his...

He was fine, he told himself as he labored under the slowly rising sun. He knew what he signed up for when he chose to follow in his father's footstep. Pain was a necessary obstacle to the true happiness he found in his work, and it took true character to overcome it. Because when he could look back and smile upon a sculpture that was fit for a king, or see the look of happiness on a customer's face as they received art that went above and beyond their specifications, it made the agony worth it.

And yet, he couldn't recall the last time he was ever happy.

* * *

_"Yes, he's still here! Now come on, Takeo, hurry up and look at him! He's right over there, where my finger's pointing!"_

_"I assumed as much, dear. Now let me see..."_

_When Takeo peeked through that thick grove of bamboo and into the cozy grotto before him, he expected something incredibly cute, but not-too out of the ordinary. Emiko loved animals more than anything else, so he assumed she was enamored by the sight of a mother boar with her babies, or a family of wild foxes scampering around. Maybe something a bit sillier like a Tanuki bouncing around on his somewhat nauseatingly enormous testes._

_But when Takeo looked where Emiko was pointing, he gasped loudly and clutched his chest, feeling his heart skip a beat when he realized he was looking at something straight out of a legend. It was a **dragon** of all creatures, a baby one judging by how tiny it was. But its young age didn't make it any less divine: its jet black scales looked like tiny pieces of the midnight sky, and its claws were like fine-cut silver. Takeo had no earthly idea why it was so far away from the seas and rivers its kind dwelled in, but even the sight of it doing something as mundane as snapping off a branch of a bamboo stalk and chewing it up commanded his respect._

_"You think he's a cutie too, huh Takeo?"_

_The young wolf flinched. "I would think it's more than merely cute! It's beautiful, just like in grandmother's stories..."_

_"Why can't he be both?" Emiko asked, pouting as her stick-in-the-mud husband grasped his forehead in exasperation._

_"I- well- look, is this really the time to argue semantics?!"_

_"You started it."_

_"My point is that this is a **dragon** we're talking about! A divine creature that wields power beyond our comprehension! It is not the type of creature you should take lightly!"_

_Emiko scoffed and turned her fiery amber eyes back to the infant dragon. "Why? Is he gonna gnaw our toes off or something?"_

_"More like smite us on the spot with lightning from the heavens! Emiko, please, dragons are prideful creatures-"_

_"Babe, I love you, but you need to lighten up! Dragons are a lot nicer than you'd think!"_

_In a move that made Takeo's heart stop in its recklessness, Emiko loudly brushed her way past the bamboo and stepped into the grotto, loudly whistling for the baby dragon's attention._

_"HEY! Hey there, little guy!"_

_"EMIKO, NO!"_

_Takeo stumbled into the grotto after his wife, just in time for the baby dragon to suddenly look over its shoulder at them, wowing Takeo with its milky pupil-less eyes, so shiny that they almost resembled well-polished pearls. The young wolf stopped moving as soon as he left the bamboo thicket, but the feisty vixen continued her approach, moving slowly and deliberately while holding a hand forward._

_"Oh, you're just a little cutie, aren't you?! I just wanna eat you up!"_

_Takeo screamed internally. 'I-I hope it didn't take that literally!'_

_The baby dragon merely cocked its head and turned its entire body around. It stared curiously up at Emiko, who was now directly in front of the creature. Seeing her get to her knees so as not to intimidate made Takeo feel a little better about this whole ordeal, but seeing her pick-and-choose which bits of good animal etiquette to follow was still nerve-wracking._

_"C'mon little guy, let mama pet you!"_

_Emiko held her hand close to his nostrils and kept it there, letting the creature observe it before making a move. It cocked its head towards the other side and sniffed it for a few seconds... then brushed against it, like an affectionate scaly cat. Emiko let out a squeal of delight and immediately began scratching it under its little chin._

_"What did I tell you, babe? WHAT did I tell you?! He wasn't going to smite us! He's too cute for that, aren't you little guy?!"_

_Takeo frowned while Emiko touched her nose to the creature's and nuzzled it. "That is certainly a relief, but please, I am **begging** you to be less cavalier in the future! Just because this dragon liked you does not mean that all would be so merciful!"_

_"I dunno, both dragons I've met seem like fairly nice guys!"_

_"Even so-" Takeo froze in bewilderment, trying to comprehend what he just heard. "Wait- You've met other dragons?!"_

_"One other dragon!" said Emiko with a wink. "He was a big guy covered in the **prettiest** emerald scales! My family met him on a picnic back when I was a little girl, and he was really nice to us!"_

_"I... wow..." Takeo shook his head, almost too dumbfounded to speak. "You never told me..."_

_"You never asked!" Emiko said, giggling. "Trust me babe, I wouldn't just mess with wild animals willy-nilly like that! Isn't that right, little guy?"_

_The baby dragon let out its first noise: a squeak that sounded like it came straight from a dog toy. Emiko cracked up, and even Takeo couldn't resist the urge to chuckle as it continued its squeaking._

_"Oh my gosh, why are you insufferably cute?!"_

_The baby dragon continued its squeaking, almost as if it was talking to Emiko... but that didn't seem to be the case. Takeo noticed that it wasn't looking at Emiko, but at something that was further back. Intrigued, Takeo expected to see a large moth resting on a stalk of bamboo or a rabbit as he turned around. So when he saw something far bigger and more threatening leering back at him from the bamboo grove they had walked out from, he was paralyzed with fear. He had gotten so caught up in the hurricane of emotions Emiko subjected him to with her shenanigans with the baby dragon that he forgot the advice his father drilled into his head during his boyhood:_

_"If you ever see a baby animal, keep your distance. For you never know just where its larger, fiercer parent could be lurking..."_

* * *

After loading his final batch of bamboo in his truck for the day, Takeo clumsily spilled onto the ground and laid against one of his truck's tires, feeling as if he had completed a marathon hike up some of the world's deadliest, roughest mountains. Nearly delirious from thirst, he chugged the contents of a large water bottle he bought along in a few big gulps and let the plastic container fall to his side. Hydrated but still exhausted, Takeo took in the view of the sun setting beyond the valley this part of the forest overlooked. This part of the country had remained lucky enough to be left untouched by the modern world: no signs of big cities, minimal traffic, just sprawling, quiet wilderness and enough scattered houses to be counted on one hand, all bathed in slowly dimming orange light. He could see a small family of deer crossing a dirt road, wild horses grazing, a group of Tanuki bouncing towards the forest on their massive testes, a gang of Kappas laughing merrily from a truck they were recklessly driving, a flock of umbrella demons circling in the sky above...

 _'Lots of demon activity tonight...'_ Takeo mused to himself, _'I do hope they'll keep their distance tonight. I don't know if I'm prepared to fight off another ice spirit tonight...'_

He gripped his axe tightly, and got to his feet as quickly as his aching body would allow. Wincing and clutching his sore spine, Takeo stumbled forward before turning to his truck. Demons may not have been all bad, but Takeo was not the type to take any chances: he had more than a few nasty run-ins with them during his long life, and he could count the amount of ones that meant no harm on one hand. He was determined to make it home which was, for the most part, safely fortified against the supernatural... provided that Bakageta didn't invalidate his sacred rites or mess with his wards yet again. And that determination spurred him forth to quickly throw the truck door open. However, the driver's seat had already been occupied...

"Top of the evening, mister!" a tiny demon greeted, one that resembled a purple-skinned human boy with a single enormous eye decked out in a child's kimono and wide-brimmed straw hat, "You've been workin' real hard today! Want some tofu to help refuel- AIYEE!"

The creature leaped into the passenger's seat just in time for Takeo's axe to split the driver's seat open. Cursing as he saw foam peeking out, the old wolf pointed his axe threateningly at the demon who was trembling in his wooden sandals.

"Get out of my car! NOW!"

With a wimpy holler, the tofu-shilling demon beaned Takeo with a surprisingly solid block of the stuff and abandoned the truck while the old wolf staggered backwards, crying out in pain as he dropped his axe and clutched his aching skull. 

"AGH! You... you little scamp!"

The creature dove into a nearby bamboo thicket, and Takeo could hear the pitter-patter of his footsteps grow silent as he fled into the wilderness. Briefly tempted to pursue, Takeo looked back at the setting sun and sighed. It wasn't worth the hassle to chase a harmless prankster. So while clutching his bruised skull, the old wolf climbed into his truck, shut the passenger door, and immediately made his way back home. He was able to keep his eyes and mind on the road, but the horrible pain assaulting his body from every direction did its best to make that difficult. It also did a number on his mental strength, and caused small thoughts he normally suppressed and shut out to slowly trickle into his brain...

_'I was harsh to that creature... how would Emiko feel about me acting in such a way?'_

_'She was good with demons, far better at handling them than I. She could have deescalated the situation.'_

_'She might have invited the thing for tea back home...'_

Shame set in, and Takeo tried to dismiss these intrusive, invasive thoughts. But there was no escaping that feeling of loneliness that permeated the truck. A feeling that was at its worst when he was particularly hurt or frazzled, and with no one to help ease that pain. Takeo glanced at the passenger's seat, almost hoping to see his spritely, lively wife grinning ear-to-ear by his side... but it was empty. Why did he expect anything different? It had been this way for over twenty years now, and there was no reason for that to change.

* * *

_'By the gods, H-How long has she been standing there?! I-I-I didn't even hear her coming! I- This-'_

_Cursing himself for acting so foolishly around the baby, Takeo was rooted to the spot and utterly crushed under the hopelessness and horror as he beheld the dragon leering at him from the bamboo thicket. Normally he'd be overwhelmed with joy to be in the presence of such a divine creature, because her beauty and ferocity were beyond compare. Like her offspring her scales were a sleek, gleaming obsidian that bought the vastness of outer space to mind, but it was accentuated by ghostly white fur that lined her serpentine form and formed an impressive beard and eyebrows on her face. She also had horns and claws that looked less silvery than her offsprings and were a more vibrant platinum shade, same with her eyes. And those eyes had pupils that seemed to be boring straight into his heart, his mind, and crackled with the might of a raging thunderstorm._

_He could hear a threatening, thunderous growl rumble deeply in her throat, and Takeo cried out as he fell to his knees and bowed in reverence of the mighty beast. Because of their rarity and elusive nature, nobody could agree on if dragons were actual gods or merely their emissaries in the physical world, but they were intelligent and proud creatures, proud enough to reward vigilant prayers and worship with the rains needed to ensure a bountiful harvest season. And if they were merciful enough to help mortals with their harvests, maybe this one would be kind enough to spare him and his wife if he appealed to her prideful nature._

_"Mighty stormcaller, y-you bless us with your presence!" Takeo cried out, firmly clasping his trembling hands as if he were praying, "We mean your child no harm, it's just... I... we were..."_

_Takeo's words died in his throat as the fearsome beast continued watching him and his wife in silence. Mustering up all the courage he could, Takeo opened his eyes and looked upward, and felt his heart hammer in his chest as she simply studied him in quiet curiosity. Much like her baby she tilted her head like a dog, and her fangs were partially exposed in an expression he found impossible to read. He had no idea what was going through the creature's mind, but the optimistic Emiko seemed to think the best given the carefree way she addressed the magnificent creature._

_"Gosh... you're even prettier than the other dragon I've met! But hey, this little guy had to get his good looks somewhere, am I right?"_

_To Takeo's horror, Emiko was holding up the baby dragon, who continued his happy squealing as he excitedly called out for his mother. The wolfman let out a cry that was partially a frustrated growl and partially a horrified gasp, and desperately tugged on his wife's pants leg._

_"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! Put it down, please!"_

_Emiko seemed confused. "Why would I do that? The little guy's happy where he is, and his mom doesn't seem to mind! Listen, she's even chuckling at us!"_

_What Emiko heard as chuckling, Takeo heard as more thunderous growling. As far as he was concerned, he and his wife were doomed. Doomed to be turned to ash by a bolt from the heavens. No... **he** was, but if he could divert attention from his wife..._

_"Mighty stormcaller, please! Whatever you plan to do to her, do it to me instead! I-I'm the one who wanted her to pick it up in the first place, so if you have to smite anyone, s-smite me!"_

_According to his grandmother's stories, it was unwise to lie to a dragon. They were oddly perceptive to the world around them and could see through even the most convincing lies. And they **hated** liars enough to punish them with especially murderous fury. And yet, this dragon continued her odd growling... growling Emiko had described as laughter. And oddly enough, the cadence and tone seemed to fit the description the longer he listened to it. The dragon turned her attention to her baby, and gave a gentle, but firm snort that kicked up a cloud of smoke from her prominent nostrils. Squeaking excitedly, the baby dragon leaped out of Emiko's hands and joined its mother's side, scrabbling up her scaly body and resting on her incredibly long back. With her baby in tow, the dragon now looked at Emiko, then nodded respectfully towards her._

**_"A TENDER-HEARTED WOMAN, WHOSE LOVE AND CARE FOR OTHERS KNOW NO BOUNDS..."_ **

_A woman's voice projected itself inside of Takeo's mind, and its thunderous strength fiercely disoriented him. As the wolfman tried to keep himself steady, the dragon turned to him and also nodded._

**_"AND HER HUSBAND, AN HONORABLE MAN WHO WOULD LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR THOSE HE LOVES. TRULY, YOUR CHILD IS LUCKY TO HAVE PARENTS SUCH AS YOU."_ **

_And with that, the dragon flew straight into the air, carried by a powerful updraft that manifested from seemingly nowhere. She snaked off beyond the horizon, roaring triumphantly as she left husband and wife bewildered in her wake. At this point, Takeo couldn't even describe how he felt. It was a complicated mix of relief to be alive, happiness that Emiko's winning personality won over such a prideful creature, residual fear of being turned to ash... but Emiko seemed to be fully confused, her eyes wide as she muttered to herself._

_"Your child... but we... we don't have any children..." She looked over at her husband, her voice trembling. "Takeo, she... why would that dragon act like we have children?"_

_That was a good question, but not one Takeo could answer. It was true: they had been married for six years, but they were never able to conceive a child. But dragons never lied, **ever.** A fact Emiko seemed to realize, given the startled way she clutched her middle._

_"Honey, I... we need to see a doctor. Right now!"_

* * *

After making it back home and placing his freshly-cut bamboo under the designated open-air tarp, Takeo entered the homestead, which had been lit up by Bakageta. And since the table was free of wood shavings and dust, and his in-progress works and tools were gathered neatly on the sides, it was clear that Bakageta listened to his request and pulled his weight for once.

"Thank you, Bakageta!"

Takeo's rare praise was met with silence.

"Hmm... must have gone on one of his walks. Good, I can use the peace and quiet."

And yet, Takeo didn't quite believe his own words. Bakageta could be annoying, sure, but when the two bickered, it allowed him to occupy his mind with _something._ Fantasies of that mouthy umbrella being whisked into the great beyond by a strong updraft, formulating zingers and comebacks to counter his biting insults, possibly setting him up with a nice girl if it got him out of his house... but without his companion's yammering and barking, Takeo had to confront the fact that as he carved and whittled away at an unfinished, featureless sculpture, he felt nothing. He wasn't wowed by the process of it slowly, but surely being converted into a dragon-shaped bookhold, he didn't anticipate the fat paycheck his lawyer client would grant him for a job well done, and even the memories of encountering the dragon he used as inspiration didn't stir any feelings in his heart. Good vibes were cancelled out by the negative emotions spurred by his aching body, lonely home, and the uncomfortable truth that even with his lawyer client's generous pay, that money would only get him so far. Money and medicine would be a little more readily available, but thanks to his inconsistent workload and limitations as a one-man operation, it wouldn't be too long before it all ran out and left him with next to nothing.

And when his first bookend was on the verge of creation, he was so distracted by that crushing feeling of emptiness that he let his knife and the bookend drop onto the table with a clang and a thud respectively. He ignored the small cloud of wood dust that it kicked up and bent forward, propping his elbows up on the table as he his face in his hands. By all means he should have been proud of that bookend but he knew that if he looked at it, he'd have to grapple with a question that had been haunting him for years: how long had it been since he was truly happy with his work? When was the last time he smiled proudly at a carving, or struck up a long conversation with a client as he went over his thought process and inspiration behind his latest creation?

Exhaustion overtook the old wolf, and as he rested his head on the table and drifted off to sleep, the answer haunted his last few seconds of consciousness: he didn't know. He lost track some time after twenty years.

* * *

_It had been a long and emotionally taxing day, but when Takeo and Emiko finally made it home after returning from the closest town's clinic, the young wolf couldn't remember feeling more invigorated. Carrying his wife in his arms for the first time since their wedding day, he kicked the door to their home open and spun her around, laughing merrily with his beloved before setting her on the ground._

_"Oh Emiko, I can't believe it! She knew! That dragon KNEW about our baby! Th-This is incredible!"_

_"Well given how we've been going at it like rabbits the past few years, it was only a matter of time but still..." Emiko collapsed into a rocking chair and laughed drunkenly, intoxicated by her own happiness. "I'm seriously going to be a mom! That's... well, I was gonna say cool, but that's a hell of an understatement right there."_

_"Indeed."_

_Smiling in agreement, Takeo and Emiko reflected on today's revelation in silence. But it didn't take long for Emiko to leap out of her chair and liven things up._

_"Alright honey, we've got a lot on our plate right now but one thing's for sure: once I pop the little sucker out, he's gonna live in the best house a baby can ask for! We're going to give him shelves full of books, chests full of toys, furniture fit for a king, the works! And I've already got the **best** idea for a crib, just give me a second-"_

_Emiko rushed over to the table and kneeled on her favorite cushion. She grabbed a stray sheet of paper and a pencil and hastily began scribbling something together._

_"What I'm thinking is we make all regal and imperial-like. Make the bars of his crib look like the imperial palace's support pillars- OOH! And carving the bedposts in the shape of a dragon's head- no, wait. That'd look kinda tacky... but we COULD make a dragon's head cutout for his crib, that would be cool!"_

_Takeo laughed and shook his head as he sat down beside her.. "Such grand ideas... and here I am thinking of making a few simple toys!"_

_Emiko took his hand. "Hey, don't be so down on yourself! Just the act of MAKING his incredible enough! I mean, how many parents can say that they made all their baby's belongings from scratch?"_

_"Our parents, their parents, **their** parents-"_

_Emiko elbowed Takeo in the ribs._

_"I'm talking about OUR generation, you pedantic dork! Seriously, woodworking's a dying art in our age bracket!"_

_Takeo wasn't so sure, but he wasn't the type to get caught up in long, pointless arguments. "Perhaps. But... do you think they'll be happy living like this? As fun as sculpting is, bamboo cutting isn't exactly a glamorous lifestyle. Just look how small this cabin is! And that's ignoring how often we'll be away from home and toiling in the fields, or busy carving new-"_

_Emiko pressed a clawed finger to Takeo's lips and shushed the worrywart wolf. "One thing at a time, hon. We've got nine months to figure this all out, so why not have a bit of fun before we tackle the hard questions? Our kid'll be loved and cared for, I promise."_

_It wasn't in Takeo's nature to ignore such pressing issues, but he could do it for Emiko's sake. He grabbed his wife's hand and lowered it, gazing lovingly into her eyes in the process._

_"As you wish, my dear."_

_"I knew you'd come around!"_

_Husband and wife embraced, and after a passionate kiss Takeo stepped back and placed his hands on his hips._

_"Well Emiko, since you have a good feeling about how you want this crib to look, I'll fetch us some bamboo so we can get started!"_

_"Hmm... on second thought, there are a few other designs I could go with! Let me sketch up a few more concepts: in the meantime, you can start carving some toys, ya big fuzzy hunk!"_

_Takeo should have seen it coming, but the smack on his rear when he turned around got a yelp out of him. He frowned at his cackling bride, but smiled sheepishly when he headed outside. And for the next five months, that happiness would persist as he and Emiko chopped down more and more bamboo, and converted that bamboo into all kinds furniture that was certain to liven up the baby's life. They made that crib with Emiko's initial dragon design, as well as a small bookshelf that was to be filled with all manner of children's books, as well as a toy chest and several toys: wooden cars, blocks, figures resembling people and demons... they even made a mobile that Emiko was quite proud of._

_And speaking of Emiko, Takeo was proud to see how much of a trooper she was. Even as her belly rounded out to accommodate the baby's growth, she was up and about either pacing throughout the cabin while brainstorming a new project, or actively whittling away at stalks of bamboo and churning out creations at a rate that put Takeo's productivity to shame. For the longest time the wolfman assumed that when people talked about how pregnant women glow they were being hyperbolic, but Emiko had grown positively **radiant** as time passed by. Her already brilliant orange fur seemed downright fiery, and there was a supernatural shine in her eyes that had never been there before. She was always happy, always singing some kind of tune under her breath, and Takeo couldn't help but wonder if she had received some kind of blessing from the gods themselves. _

_But if it was, then the gods had a sick sense of humor._

_One day twenty weeks into her pregnancy, Takeo woke up to the sound of Emiko rushing to the bathroom and violently vomiting into the toilet, and when he went in to check on her she was in some of the worst pain she had ever been. When she wasn't vomiting again and again, she was hit with agonizing abdominal cramps that she described as a knife to the belly. Horrified by such a development, Takeo was prepared to call a doctor before she vomited up blood and passed out._

_At that point, waiting wouldn't do them any good. He had to take her to the nearest clinic himself._

_Not knowing if she had been cursed by a wayward demon, or if yesterday's dinner had made her sick, Takeo prayed with all his might. He prayed as he carried Emiko into the car, prayed as he drove to the clinic, prayed as she was rushed into an operating room, and prayed all day long as emergency surgery was conducted to save her life._

_But what happened to Emiko was beyond anyone's capacity to help: god or man alike. When the doctor walked in with his eyes shamefully averted, Takeo's heart stopped._

_When he said that they lost the baby, he fell to his knees._

_And when he could barely find the words to say that they had lost Emiko as well, Takeo let out a cry of despair that would haunt the doctor for the rest of his life._


	2. The Odd Bamboo Shoot

" _Trust me ladies, my roomie may talk a good game about how "enlightened" and "civilized" he is, but when he washes his unmentionables... well, he's a dog! He doesn't use a washcloth, if you get my meaning!"_

Takeo's sensitive ears twitched, and the groggy old wolf woke up and yawned.

 _'Looks like Bakageta's back,'_ he thought to himself, his neck fur bristling when he heard high, feminine laughter accompany Bakageta's own boorish cackling. _'And he has guests, too. Lovely. I do hope that they're at least somewhat normal...'_

Takeo heard two sets of footsteps accompany Bakageta's distinct hopping sound up the front steps, and watched the doorknob jiggle with dread. Vocally dissatisfied with being cooped up alone in Takeo's house for most of the day, Bakageta was prone to exploring and had the oddest tendency to run into people: usually demons, who he'd then bring home as guests. And whether it was a kappa that stole all his cucumbers, a horrifying piscine woman who wanted to eat his liver, or a floating human head engulfed in flame that tried to burn the house down... well, they usually weren't good guests. And as such Takeo expected the worst, only to breathe a sigh of relief when he saw that Bakageta was accompanied by what appeared to be two human women. Rather _rich_ human women going by their fancy kimonos, pale faces, and silky raven hair, which led to the old wolf feeling a bit insecure when they began looking over the house. Thankfully the less fancy of the two, a smiling woman whose eyes were hidden by the thick bangs of her incredibly hair seemed pleased with his setup.

"Oh my, what a lovely home you have! It's so nice and cozy... oh, and look at this!" The smiling woman tenderly stroked the side of the bookshelf. "Such fine craftsmanship..."

For the first time in a long while, Takeo actually grinned.

"Thank you, miss! I spent many hours on that-"

"By the gods, you live like this? What a dump!"

The other woman, whose hair and makeup suggested that she was a geisha of some sort, was less than impressed. She surveyed the house with her nose crinkled in disgust, and scornfully shook her head. "Bakageta, darling, surely you can do better than this!"

"Hey, field any and all complaints to the old man! If it were up to me, we'd be living it up in a snazzy condo in the city!"

Takeo rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, you two ladies have a seat, and let me introduce you to the old grouch himself! Takeo Yoshida, meet Purin and Plum! Purin and Plum, meet Takeo Yoshida!"

"It is an honor to meet you both," said Takeo, bowing as the two women took their seats on the cushions on left and right sides of the table. Purin, who seemed to be the cheerier of the two bowed her head in return, while Plum the geisha slightly nodded.

"And it is an honor to meet _you!_ " Said Purin, who marveled at the half-finished sculptures on the table. "Bakageta told us you were a master craftsman, and I must say, I still don't quite think he did you justice!"

Plum rolled her eyes. "You can at least wait until he's finished before you start sucking up." But her gaze shifted to the bookshelves in the living room and shrugged. "Those are some decent bookshelves, though."

"Well I am happy to know that you two like what you see! But I promise you, these bookends I'm working on shall be far more than merely decent!"

Yawning again, Takeo popped his aching back and suppressed a wince as he picked up the bookend he had previously worked on and continued to whittle away at it. 

"So, what brings you two all the way out here, anyway?"

"Y'know, that's a good question!" Bakageta said as he too took a seat right across from Takeo, "Why _are_ you ladies out here tonight? When I ran into you during my walk, you said that something weird was going down tonight..."

"Indeed! Though I would not quite say _weird._ Whatever's happening tonight is going to be wonderous! You see-"

Purin was silenced by a horrific growl that took Takeo a few seconds to register as coming from her _stomach._ Poor Purin squealed and covered her middle, beet red in the face while Bakageta, Plum, and even Takeo all chuckled at her hungry outburst.

"Hungry, are you?" Takeo asked, to which Purin nodded meekly. "Well then: BAKAGETA! Kindly fix Ms. Purin something to eat."

The umbrella demon's mouth opened in shock. "Wha- HEY! Why do I have to cook?!"

"You invited them over, yes? Surely you're a good enough host to cook for your guests!"

"Hold up there, buddy! This is YOUR house, so doesn't that make YOU the host? Huh? HUH?!"

Takeo rolled his eyes. "Oh how typical, it's _our_ house when you want me to liven things up, until it's suddenly _mine_ when you want to duck your responsibilities!"

"Okay Mr. Moral-"

"Stop, please!" Purin commanded as she stood up, "There's no need for you two to fight, I'll handle it myself!"

Startled, Takeo shook his head vigorously and began to rise from his cushion. "No, Ms. Purin! I insist-"

"No, it's okay! I just don't want you two to fight anymore!"

With Bakageta crossing his arms and rolling his eye in a way that practically _screamed_ "Way to go, dude...", and Plum shooting him a judgmental glare, Takeo bowed his head shamefully. "Very well. I-I'm sorry."

"It's okay! Now just give me a second, I'll be back in a bit!"

Purin got up and walked over to the refrigerator. Looking up, Takeo was relieved to see that she took his little spat with Bakageta in stride, as she walked with a noticeable spring in her step. Humming a cheerful melody, Purin opened the fridge and stroked her chin as she looked over its contents.

"Hmm... what to eat, what to eat..."

And in the span of a second, Takeo went from relieved to horrified when a fanged, slobbery mouth opened on the back of Purin's head, and chuckled hoarsely while licking its chops.

"GOODNESS!"

Takeo tumbled backwards with a cry of fear, and began backing as far away from Purin as humanly possible. Despite how loud his cry of fear was, Purin was lost in her own little world and continued to hum while licking her lips. However, since she was taking her sweet time in deciding what to eat, her head maw decided to make her decision for her and helped itself: it manipulated strands of her long raven hair as if they were tendrils, and grabbed anything edible in sight before stuffing it down its greedy maw. A jar of pickled vegetables, several pieces of raw duck and pheasant meat, two bowls of miso soup, and four wild plums were devoured in an instant, and the part of Takeo's mind that wasn't scared out of its wits about Purin's sudden transformation was wary of the possibility of her literally eating all the food in his fridge. But luckily for him, Purin's appetite was sated, and her hair hung slack around the monstrous maw as it panted and grinned lazily. Purin herself turned around, with a fish in hand and her belly incredibly swollen. Smiling sweetly, she further startled Takeo by biting the fish's head clean off.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Yoshida!" Purin said after swallowing the head. She let out a dainty belch and excused herself while Takeo was still too dumbstruck to talk.

"Well? She thanked you, Mr. Yoshida. Don't you have anything to say in return?"

Takeo wished he had never turned his head, because when he responded to Plum's scolding he was met with the horrifying sight of the geisha's head scowling at him from atop a freakishly long neck, which was coiled up like a thick fleshy snake. The top of her neck wobbled and weaved slightly, and its disgustingly fluid movement made the old wolf feel nauseous.

"Wha- What in the blazes ARE you?!"

Plum rolled her eyes. "Oh please, you live with an umbrella demon, but it's the humanshaped ones that freak you out? This is why I hate mortals: you're all so judgemental!"

Demons. Of course. Why did he expect anything different? There was no way Bakageta was going to invite normal people over, he just _had_ to pick some of the eeriest demons this side of the uncanny valley to mess with him. Unable to look at Plum for long without wanting to lose his lunch, Takeo looked over at Purin instead, but she was still devouring the rest of her fish, a savage act he would normally think nothing of if she didn't look _so damn human._ Feeling as if he had no options left, Takeo stood up, and did his best to brush off his work clothes and muster up his dignity.

"I have unfinished business in the bamboo forest tonight, sorry. Bakageta, just- please keep the house in one piece until I return."

Purin and even Plum both looked shocked as Takeo made his way towards the front door.

"Wait, bamboo forest? Mr. Yoshida, don't! That's a really bad-"

Takeo slammed the door shut behind him, leaving three baffled demons in his wake.

"Sheesh, he's always been weird about our kind, but I don't think I've ever seen him this wigged out before! You girls okay?"

Purin nodded while Plum replied with a simple "Yes," before frowning. "He isn't seriously about to leave though, is he?"

Her question was answered by the roar of a truck engine. Startled, Plum and Purin made a mad dash for the door and threw it open just in time for Takeo to drive down the hill and into the darkening night. Purin covered her mouth with one stray hand while Purin merely shook her head in disbelief.

"That man has a death wish. That, or he's stupid."

Bakageta frowned in confusion. "Alright ladies, you mind telling me why you're both suddenly in "doom and gloom" mode? Does it have anything to do with you being here or something?"

"Oh yes," Purin answered, "But I'm surprised you don't know what we're talking about! Can't you feel it?"

"Feel what?"

"Dark energy." Plum answered grimly, her expression unreadable. "A veritable _maelstrom_ of it, the likes of which I haven't felt since the days of Orochi. For the past few days it has accumulated in this region, and that bamboo forest Mr. Yoshida mentioned is practically drowning in it."

"Weird, because I swear I haven't felt any-"

And suddenly, a surge of warm energy shot up Bakageta's wooden spine, and the umbrella demon shuddered and moaned in such a way that he sounded like he was being violently shaken. 

"Oooooooh boy, _that's_ what you're talking about, eh?! 'Cause I'm definitely feeling it now."

"Indeed." Plum answered. "Purin and I wanted to investigate that forest just to see what on Earth could be causing such a powerful surge of darkness, and it seems like half the local demon population was of the same mind! On our way here we've run into gangs of Kappas, Tanuki, Tengu... and if rumors and whispers are to be believed, Lord Retsuyama himself has taken an interest in it!"

"Well, I've got no idea who the heck _that_ is, but I guess that means this is a pretty big deal." said Bakageta. "I mean, look at the size of the moon tonight!"

The demon women nodded as Bakageta pointed at the moon. None of them could ever remember a time where the moon looked this _huge_ before: it was massive to the point to where it _had_ be within spitting distance from the Earth. But that was impossible, wasn't it? He wasn't exactly well-versed in astronomy, but Bakageta swore that if the moon really was that close then it would have some kind of effect on the Earth...

"It is a big deal." Purin said in agreement, "Especially since your friend ran right off towards where all those demons are converging! And with so many gathering in that forest, he's bound to run into plenty with ill intent towards mortalkind..."

Bakageta gasped. "Aw geez, you're right! Gods, what am I even doing fawning over the moon like this?! We've gotta help Takeo!"

"Sadly, I don't see how that will be possible." Plum said, "By going out to those woods, your friend signed his death warrant! We'll never get there in time!"

"You might not be able to, but I can! Check this out!"

Bakageta hopped backwards three times, tensed up and balled up his clawed hands into fists, then hopped forward at surprising speed: once, twice, ten times, then with a mighty bounce he lept high into the air above the trees before opening his papery body and drifting away on a particularly strong draft. As he flew towards the bamboo forest at a surprising speed, he waved goodbye to his guests.

"Hang on, ladies! I'll be back with Takeo before you know it!"

Purin and Plum grinned at Bakageta, with Plum in particular very impressed with his gumption.

"What a good friend! Takeo doesn't deserve him, not in the slightest."

* * *

Pulling up to an abandoned clearing among the bamboo, Takeo brought his truck to a stop and rested his head on the steering wheel. He took a deep breath, and as he allowed his mind to clear and anxieties to fade, the old wolf thought back to those terrifying guests. Demons who would have perfectly passed for humans, had it not been for their monstrous head-maw and freakishly long neck respectively. Monstrous demons rattled him to begin with, but it was the ones that blurred that line between mortal and unholy that made him feel downright sick to his stomach.

_'So why didn't I kick them out? Am I really so spineless these days?'_

Why would he, if they hadn't done anything wrong? Purin and Plum were frightening, yes, but they were also cordial, respectful guests. Plum less so than Purin, but the only thing they were guilty of was freaking him out, which was something that Takeo realized as he sat alone in his car. Bit by bit regret and shame started to pile up, until the tired wolfman was crushed under his own self-loathing.

_'Emiko... what did you ever see in me?'_

Takeo could hardly imagine his late wife loving a man who was judgmental enough to contemplate a throwing a guest out in the cold simply because they looked strange. His parents and her parents taught them better than that, and she was always cordial towards any demons they crossed paths with. Even the ones that tried to kill, curse, or eat them! If she could do it, why couldn't he?

It was then that he was distracted by a knock on the car door. It was soft, but firm, and came from surprisingly low on the ground. Curious, Takeo rolled down the car window and peered outside, only to be met with nothing. Just the silence of the moonlit bamboo forest.

"Hello?" Takeo called out into the forest, "Is someone out there?"

Another series of knocks, this time from the passenger's side. Thoroughly confused and a tad annoyed, Takeo stepped outside of his truck and slammed the driver-side door shut. Convinced that either Bakageta had followed him into the forest and was pranking him, or that the tofu-selling demon boy from earlier was making a second attempt at peddling his wares, Takeo stepped around the truck, but when he was ready to scold the unseen prankster he came to a sudden stop. It wasn't voluntary, his body reacted before his mind could even process just what was going on, but Takeo was quick to pick up on what his natural-born hunter's instinct was telling him.

Something was very wrong.

His hackles rose, and the old man instinctively bared his fangs while a soft growl rumbled louder and louder in his throat. He was staring to pick up on just how _off_ it was starting to feel out there. The forest was silent: there were no crickets chirping, owls hooting, not even footsteps or rustling of bamboo leaves elsewhere. The moon, now freakishly _enormous_ gazed down at the forest like the eye of an all-seeing, all-knowing god. And the air... it was thick with bloodlust. With murder. Takeo instinctively reached for the axe on his hip, only to curse himself when he grabbed nothing. After all, he had abandoned it in a fit of anger earlier today. Now he had a horrible feeling that he would pay the ultimate price for that tantrum.

Taking a few nervous steps backward, Takeo surveyed the landscape of the eerie forest but in his desperate search of anything that could be lurking in the woods, he failed to notice an off-color patch of grass. When his foot came down, it broke apart and a thick silk web bent and bounced beneath it, throwing the old wolf off balance and into a panicky state as he flailed his arms around like mad.

"GOODNESS! What in the world-?!"

Unable to keep his balance as his foot sank into the ground, Takeo had the sense to fall forward and keep his body away from that surprise hole. And it was for the best, because the second he fell the ground exploded in a shower of dirt in front of him, and a monstrous spider the size of a tiger pounced at him from its hiding place. Had he have fallen backwards, his whole body would have been pinned to a giant web and he wouldn't have been able to grab the horrible monster's pedipalps and pushed its disgusting face away from his. Eight soulless black eyes that glared into his soul, enormous mandibles that snapped in violent anticipation of crushing his snout, all that muddy brown and hellish red fur... Takeo's only response when ambushed by that hellish spider was to scream. He screamed as loud as he could as he fought against the hungry monster that desperately tried to overwhelm him.

He kicked its bloated abdomen with all the strength he could muster, causing it to hiss with each strike before he freed up a single paw and swiped it across the face with his sharp claws. He managed to rake it across three eyes, all of which popped like slime-filled balloons, and the nightmarish bug fell back and screeched as it frantically grabbed at its face. Seizing the opportunity, Takeo freed his foot from the sandal that was ensnared by the spider silk and ran like hell towards his truck.

_'Damn it, damn it, damn it! A spider demon here, of all places?! I- how- but they're not supposed to live here!'_

Making it to his car, Takeo threw his door open, only to find himself suddenly being yanked backwards by something wrapping around his left leg. Something that turned out to be a thin web tendril, much to his horror. Glaring at him with its remaining five eyes, the spider demon didn't bother trying to pounce on or chase after Takeo, but instead pulled him closer and closer by the strand of webbing. Crying out in horror, Takeo grabbed onto the wheel of his car, only for the spider demon's strength to win out and yank him away. Screaming as he was pulled close enough to see strands of grey, milky drool drip from its mandibles, Takeo desperately looked around for something, _anything_ to use as an improvised weapon. However, there was nothing: no sticks, no stones, but his other sandal...

Ripping it off his foot, Takeo's eyes watered and he whispered a silent prayer to the gods. He wasn't expecting to walk away from this encounter alive, but he refused to go down without a fight. The spider lunged forward, and Takeo let out a roar of fury as he sent the wooden shoe crashing down onto its face. He could feel a fourth eye burst under the weight of his improvised weapon, but instead of shrinking back the spider grabbed Takeo by the collar of his shirt, and flung him a good foot away with a mighty roar. Now half-blind but truly enraged, the spider reared up and rose its front legs in a threat display that would intimidate a grizzly bear. But before it could charge the old wolf, there was a blinding flash from above. Takeo looked up, and gasped in pain before hastily throwing his paws over his burning eyes.

The moon had been swallowed by a blinding light, a light that had also seared the spider demon's eyes, judging by its disgusting shrieks of pain. But while it cried out and shrieked incoherently, Takeo's right ear twitched as he caught a new sound: an odd noise that could only be described as a mix of ethereal wailing, and the whirring of machinery. And both sounds were quickly drowned out by a third, this one sounding like the roar of an approaching jet plane. Thanks to the entire forest being lit up, Takeo could see an odd shadow grow larger and larger around the spider demon, and quickly pushed himself as far away as he could. And he did so in the nick of time: something large and metallic slammed into the ground with the impact of a meteor, silencing the spider's cries with a wet explosion and the sound of sizzling bug guts. Having no idea if a meteor had landed, or something even more horrible had decided to swoop in and steal the spider demon's kill, Takeo hid his face and trembled in terror as the mystical light slowly dimmed around him. Eventually, the forest was dark once more, and after opening his eyes Takeo was startled to see that the full moon was now its appropriate size, resting far, far away from the Earth. Now looking away from the stars, Takeo mustered up the courage to look at the impact site... and much to his surprise? Whatever it was, it wasn't a meteor, a demon, or any kind of aircraft. 

It looked like a stalk of bamboo, but cast from metal and far wider than any he had ever seen. Smoke trailed off its form, and Takeo could feel a powerful aura of heat emanating from it. A strange heat that didn't tire or repel Takeo, but a heat that seemed to beckon him over. He could feel it reaching out and touching- no, _grabbing_ him by the soul, and the old bamboo cutter was powerless to resist. Compelled by its enthralling aura and his own sense of curiosity, Takeo drew near, seemingly unaware of the way the webbing fell apart around his leg in tatters. He reached out towards the odd "bamboo shoot", but despite the hot aura it was giving off, it was cool to the touch. A chill ran up Takeo's spine and he shuddered, only to cry out when the "wood" of the steel bamboo suddenly split open and unleashed a light as intense as the one that heralded its arrival. His sense of vision overwhelmed, Takeo fell back down and hid his face, but the light began to dim faster than before. In a few short seconds, the light was no longer overwhelming, but soft. A soothing glow spread out into the forest, and in the middle of the light, a beautiful, shimmering flower blossomed.

Awestruck, Takeo could barely wrap his head around what he was seeing. This flower, whatever it was, it was _nothing_ like anything he had seen. It shimmered and shone, glowing a pale shade of just about every color of the rainbow, and its petals were translucent, allowing Takeo to see something resting on the pistil. He couldn't quite make out just _what_ it was, but the petals helpfully unfurled and spread out. And under the gentle gleam of what seemed to be a miniature aurora was a cushion. And resting on that cushion was an infant no bigger than his thumb. A girl, judging by her long raven hair, prominent eyelashes, and pretty black kimono. Her skin was so pale and features so delicate that she could have been mistaken for a doll if it weren't for the way her tiny chest heaved with each breath, or the way she gently babbled in her sleep. Her ears, which were like those of a human's but longer twitched as they took in the sounds around them. And they twitched in a particularly violent manner when they processed Takeo's heavy breathing.

And once they did, the infant yawned before opening her eyes. Before, she almost could have passed as a freakishly tiny human, though her slightly flat nose and long ears already broke the illusion. But once she flashed her enormous, soulful eyes at Takeo, eyes that were purely black and as vast and mystical as the void of space, it was clear that whatever she was, she wasn't human. Nor was she anything of this world, for that matter. There was something special about this girl, something otherworldly, something _divine._

At a loss for words or even what to feel, Takeo simply stared at the infant while she sat up and stared back. And in that moment, wolfman and alien alike had come together through a mutual feeling of confusion, bewilderment, and fascination towards one another.


	3. The Moon Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who is this strange child Takeo found, and where did she come from? The old woodcutter is at a loss for words as he takes the child home, where he, Bakageta, and Ms. Purin and Plum try to figure out just what she is. But that comfort won't last for long, because the child's arrival has been noticed by an unscrupulous demon and his friends, who seek to put her to use for their nefarious agenda...

"Takeo! HEY, TAKEO!"

The wolfman and the tiny infant turned their heads to the sky, where Bakageta drifted down towards them. After unfurling his paper body, he hopped vigorously towards them and upon reaching them, bent over to ineffectively catch his breath while rambling like crazy

"Geez buddy, I- I flew all the way out here to- to get you out of danger, and BAM! This- blinding light bursts out of nowhere and makes me crash! Do you have any idea what the hell that even was?!"

Still shocked by the mysterious bamboo shoot and the ethereal infant riding aboard, Takeo was at a loss for how to respond. So he gestured at the baby seated on her pillow and shrugged.

"You tell me."

Having been laser-focused on Takeo's safety, Bakageta now shifted his attention towards the baby and his one eye and mouth were both wide with awe as they beheld her tiny form. The way she looked, the way she was dressed, the ethereal beauty of her comfortable seat... she looked angelic, if not downright godly despite her youth. And Bakageta was just as frazzled as Takeo, but far more emotional about it. His gigantic tongue flapped around uselessly as he couldn't decide if he wanted to pick her up or bow, and was stuck in a loop of reaching forward before trying to bow only to interrupt that by trying to reach again. His demonic brain overloaded, and he simply fell flat on his back and clutched the rough approximation of where his chest would be.

"Holy geez... wha- who- is this even real?"

His hands trembling from fear and amazement, Takeo managed to work up enough courage to hold a finger to her cheek. Due to his appendage almost being as wide as her head, he took great care to be as gentle as humanly possible and could feel soft warmth against it. The baby didn't seem to mind, but cocked her head in confusion while popping her thumb into her mouth.

"She's very real," Takeo answered to Bakageta, who was now sitting up. "But I'm just as bewildered as you are. One minute, I'm being mauled by a spider demon, and the next, this bamboo shoot crashes in from out of nowhere and crushes it!"

"Well that's cool and-" Bakageta gasped, and gripped his face so hard he nearly tore his face. "A SPIDER DEMON ATTACKED YOU?!"

"Yes, and this child saved my life... I think-"

Bakageta leaped onto Takeo's chest and grabbed his face. "Geez, that's exactly what I was trying to warn you about! Those lovely ladies I picked up? They warned me about demons, and lots of 'em! They're all converging here 'cause there's been this massive surge of dark power drawing them in and... sheesh, what are we doing hanging around in the open? We could get jumped at any minute!"

"Demons, coming here..." Takeo looked back at the infant, who was now fascinated with Bakageta and observing him with those huge black eyes of hers as if she were looking at a specimen under a microscope. "How odd... do you believe there could be a connection between their presence and her arrival?"

"Do you REALLY think this is the time to be asking questions?! We've gotta get outta here, bud!" Looking over at Takeo's truck, Bakageta hopped forward and waved the old wolf over. "Come on, COME ON! Haul her on board, and let's get going!"

Takeo looked back at the baby, stunned. "Wait, we're taking her back home?"

"Nah, we're leaving her to be demon chow- OF COURSE WE'RE TAKING HER HOME! What, are you seriously gonna abandon her?"

"Absolutely not, it's just... we..."

Takeo felt uncomfortably light-headed as the weight of the situation suddenly came crashing down on him. Here he was, loitering in a spot where demons were converging, in the presence of an ethereal, downright _holy_ looking infant. One whose origins and purpose here on Earth were a complete mystery. Was it okay to just take her home? Was he in the position to take care of a baby? Did he even want to?

The rustling of bamboo branches in the distance was the kick in the tail he needed to get going. Questions could wait; for now, he had to get this child to safety. So he scooped up the baby in one hand while grabbing her cushion in the other, and as she let out a distressed squeak he left the celestial flower behind and made a mad dash for his truck. Thankfully, he was able to get in without incident, as did Bakageta. Not even bothering with the seatbelts, Takeo took off like a bat out of hell and drove off just in time for something truly horrible to explode out of the undergrowth. An abomination with the head of an ogre, the body of an ox, and six insectoid legs tipped with scythelike claws, it unleashed a furious, bowel-shaking bellow upon seeing the car speeding off far into the distance. Determined to kill Takeo and his passengers, it leaped forward in pursuit only for its rider to yank on the loose flaps of skin of its head as if they were reigns.

"Easy, boy! Easy!"

The monstrous ox-like demon let out another bellow and reared back in its hind legs, but the continued yanking and urging of its rider won through and calmed the beast down. Satisfied, its rider leaped off its back and patted it gently on the side of its head.

"Good! Now settle down and wait, I need to check something out..."

The rider was a wretched-looking, short, slightly-hunched man with leathery grey-green skin, a massive beak, and a thin crest poking up from the back of his head, far weaker looking than the beast he commanded. But it dutifully snorted and chuffed quietly as the higher demon approached the bamboo shoot's impact site. He was impressed by how immaculate it was: if it weren't for the stray bits of spider demon splattered around in a twenty-five foot radius, you'd never guess that something the size of a large missile had slammed into the earth. The grass surrounding the shimmering flower was untouched with no signs of scorching or tearing, and no stray dirt had been kicked up. It was so gentle and yet destructive, which was befitting of the odd aura it gave off. The demon stuck out a forked tongue and was met with a distinct scent: the sulfuric ashiness of Hell, laced with a fragrance so impossibly sweet and relaxing that it painfully burned the back of his throat. With a cry of pain, more demons came pouring out of the surrounding bamboo, and a bulky Oni looked down at his master in concern.

"Lord Chisayama, are you okay?!"

"I'm fine, it's just the scent of this thing. It's... it's horrifying! There's so much light among all that darkness!"

Coughing and sputtering some more, Chisayama took a minute to catch his breath which gave the scent ample time to die down a bit. Cautiously approaching the flower, he grabbed a large petal between two clawed fingers, and his leathery brow crinkled as he studied it. 

"How odd... when I felt that surge of dark energy, I was expecting something truly terrifying. A demon that could put father to shame, or perhaps father himself, somehow. But... it's just a flower?"

Taking note of the metal pod that laid unfurled around it, he corrected himself. 

"No, some kind of metal vehicle... a vehicle dripping with darkness and a light so unspeakably foul..."

His sense of smell would only get him so far, so it was time to rely on something far greater than that: his mind's eye. Closing his eyes, Chisayama concentrated on only two things: the lingering scent of the flower, and the silky texture of the petal he was touching... and then they appeared: visions. He could see a light in the darkness, a soft, pink, gentle light, and when he concentrated on it, he could make out an impossibly tiny figure sitting in the center almost as if she were meditating: a baby girl. A baby girl who was no bigger than his fingers, whose elegance and impossible beauty gave her the aura of a goddess as she sat in that endless void. The demon couldn't tell if she was lost to some kind of trance, in a higher plane of existence, or simply asleep, and his vision of her fizzled out almost as quickly as it appeared. Now firmly back in the physical plane, Chisayama opened his eyes and stood up before turning to his demonic followers.

"Friends," he said, looking down at the shimmering flower, "I can't say I understand what this... _thing_ is or where it came from, but it came carrying important cargo. It was a child, an elegant, tiny thing that could fit comfortably in my hand."

The demons began chattering amongst each other in hushed tones.

"Wait, so all that darkness was kicked up by some kid?! What the hell does THAT mean?!"

"Is she some kind of goddess or something?!"

"I don't think Lord Retsuyama's going to be impressed with this. He thought it was some kinda badass monster, or a superweapon..."

When Chisayama noticed a Kappa nervously miming slitting his own throat after that last statement, he shook his head. "If my brother executes any of you for this, then he's even stupider than I thought! Take a good whiff of the air, all of you! She may be small and unassuming, but this child, whatever she may be, has a lot of latent power stored away. And if we can unleash it, the new Age of Demons we've worked so hard to usher in can finally come to fruition! But first, we must find the child. Mere seconds before we arrived somebody took her away, but I have the utmost faith in Goro's tracking skills! He WILL find her, all he needs to do is pick up her scent..."

Leaping onto the back of his monstrous mount, Chisayama flicked out his serpentine tongue and tasted the air.

"You can smell it too, can you Goro? The faintest stench of burnt rubber and gasoline..."

Snorting deeply, Goro nodded. A deep grunt rumbled in his throat, and his master gave him an affectionate smack on the side of his belly.

"Good, good! Now follow that scent! Tonight's the beginning of a new era, and I refuse to let some upstart thief get in our way!"

* * *

"Come on, Takeo! Hurry up and get the kid inside! Purin and Plum are gonna want to see this!"

Carefully clutching the child against his chest, Takeo followed Bakageta into his cabin and shut the door behind him. Sitting at the dinner table, Purin and Plum both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank the gods you're alright!" Purin said as Takeo and Bakageta took their seats on the floor, "We were worried sick about you!"

"Purin was," Plum corrected, looking harshly at Takeo before softening her expression as she turned to Bakageta. "Though I had my doubts about your safety. I'm glad you made it back okay, my dear Bakageta."

Rolling his eyes, Takeo was at least glad that Purin cared. The slender waif craned her neck when she noticed the tiny figure in his hands, and Plum did the same, albeit to a more grotesque extent.

"So what happened out there, anyway?" Plum asked, while Takeo did his best to ignore the way her neck had stretched out six feet as it snaked around to get a better look at the infant. "Did you get attacked by any demons out there? And what's that in your hands?"

"Stop that!" Takeo barked, hiding the child from Plum's prying eyes when she wrapped around behind him to get a glimpse over his shoulder. "You'll scare her!"

"Her?" Purin asked. Takeo nodded, and while Plum set her neck back to a normal with a huff, he gently set the child on the table. And Purin was _in love:_ she gasped and held her hands over her mouth as the tiny infant looked up at her with those humongous almond eyes, and even Plum's mood improved when she beheld the mysterious girl.

 _"By the gods!_ _"_ Purin squealed with motherly affection, _"What a precious little thing!"_

"How... how queer..." Plum looked lost for words now that the baby was staring right at her, and poked the child right in one of her slightly chubby cheeks. "Is she the source of all that dark energy we felt?"

"That seems likely." said Takeo, who looked down at the inquisitive infant with confusion plain on his face. Confusion that the infant herself lacked, oddly enough. Looking into her eyes, Takeo couldn't shake the feeling that there was someone far older staring back at him. Someone wiser, and far more powerful than he could ever aspire to be. Someone who seemed to know exactly what kind of situation she was in. It made for an unsettling effect, and he couldn't bare to look at her for any longer than he had to.

"But it's weird, because nothing seems to be particularly demonic about her" said Bakageta, picking up the slack for Takeo, "Hell, she intervened during a demon attack and saved the old mutt's life!"

Purin and Plum gasped.

"Goodness!"

"...go on."

And so Takeo took back over from Bakageta and recounted the events that had transpired minutes earlier: the spider demon's ambush, his harrowing struggle against the nightmarish beast, the child's timely arrival as her ship obliterated the demon with its crash-landing, the way it unfurled into a rainbow flower with her resting in the center... and as he told his story, Takeo kept momentarily glancing at the child. Each and every time he did, she had that exact same look on her face, that knowing stare of a higher intelligence who was privy to knowledge the old wolf was woefully ignorant to.

 _'Am I looking too deeply into this?'_ Takeo thought to himself, _'Could she merely be a stoic infant? Then again, I don't think babies are that emotional as long as they aren't hungry... right?'_

_'Bah. How am I supposed to know? Mine died before I could even meet him.'_

"So..." Plum stated as she processed everything the old wolf told her. "This child came from a mysterious flower from the heavens... could she be a goddess in infant form, by any chance?"

"Aw geez, I thought you gals would know," Bakageta stated sadly, "I mean, you've both got millennia of wisdom on your side! You seriously mean to tell me that you've never seen anything like her before?"

"Unfortunately, no. And I like to think that we're both well-traveled!" said Purin while Plum nodded. "If I ever stumbled upon somebody who looked this beautiful, I would never forget..."

"Nor would I," said Plum. "Perhaps she isn't a god, demon, or even a mortal, but something beyond the planes of existence, living just outside of reality. I'm not sure what that means in the grand scheme of things, though..."

"Eh, she could always be an alien!" the persnickety umbrella suggested, grinning wider and gasping as he fell in love with his own idea. "Wait, who am I kidding?! That's EXACTLY what she is! Just look at her: she's got the weirdly pale skin, the huge almond eyes, she came here on a freaking spaceship, the works!" Bakageta laughed triumphantly while hopping over to Takeo and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Alright, it's settled! Takeo, old buddy? Tomorrow at dawn, we head out for the imperial city! We'll show her to the emperor, and get him to host the news conference of a lifetime: a devilishly handsome demon and his grouchy pal have discovered that aliens DO exist! Ha, to think that we found one before the Liberty Islands OR the Red Coalition could! That oughta take those guys down a peg-"

Takeo pinched Bakageta's mouth shut, causing the umbrella demon to mumble irately through the rustling of paper.

"Stop it. Now."

With a flick, he knocked Bakageta flat on his back. And while the umbrella demon cried out as he hit the ground with a papery "Thump!", there was laughter. Soft giggling that was so quiet and delicate that Takeo would likely have missed it had he been human. But his right ear twitched, and he was met with the sight of the child giggling into her hands when he turned to face her. It was oddly relieving to see her stoicism crumble, and Takeo suppressed the urge to smile now that a (rather silly) burden had been lifted off his shoulders. No matter what she was, she was grounded enough to enjoy some good old fashioned slapstick.

"Yeah, laugh kid. Go on, keep yacking!" an unamused Bakageta grumbled as he sat back up and crossed his arms in a huff. "I've already got my eye on three good time out corners, ya little rascal."

Now Purin and even Plum were laughing, albeit with the latter chuckling into her sleeve in that haughty noblewoman fashion of hers.

"So... what do you suggest we do with her?" Purin asked, to which Takeo shrugged.

"I haven't the faintest idea. Perhaps we should retire for the evening, and discuss our options in the morning.

"I like that idea!" Bakageta said with a yawn, "I'm overdue for my beauty sleep! You ladies care to join me?"

Plum chuckled into her sleeve once again. "I would love to! But where would we sleep, anyway? This house is so puny and trashy-"

A knock at the door distracted the group from the matter at hand, and Purin cocked her head in confusion.

"A guest? At this hour?"

"Man, how weird-"

"Go to my room and barricade yourselves in. _All of you._ "

Takeo sprung up, the fur on the back of his neck bristled up in fear and teeth bared as he faced the front door. While initially confused, the demons all tensed up when they caught on to the subtleties that Takeo had picked up: the unnerving lack of chirping crickets and hooting owls. The eerie, hushed laughter surrounding the house on all sides. And the sound of heavy pattering footsteps on top of the roof... and in the case of the demons, their senses were overwhelmed with the scent of darkness, which the air was _thick_ with all of a sudden.

Takeo grabbed an empty shotgun laying near the table, and loaded two shells he produced from the kitchen cabinet while the mysterious stranger knocked on the door a second time, politely yet firmly. He turned off the safety and pointed it at the door when he thought back to Bakageta's warning earlier. Tons of demons had gathered at the forest tonight... was he really so foolish as to think the spider demon would be the only one he'd run into?

The door flew open and the demons retreated deeper into the house while Takeo fired twice, only for a long strand of webbing to grab hold of him by the chest. He was yanked forward and thrown outside, where the old bamboo cutter recoiled in horror at the sight of all the demons converging around him. Monsters of all shapes and sizes: blue and red-skinned Oni menacingly smacking their black iron clubs against their palms, Kappas licking their yellow lips with disgustingly bloated tongues, an enormous spider demon grinning malevolently with her eerie eyeless human face... and standing right in front of Takeo was a bizarre creature that looked like the bastard child of a Crow Tengu and a Pteranodon riding atop a horrifying monster he recognized as an Ushi-Oni. A monster that was equal parts insect, ogre, and ox, it snorted menacingly and kicked up a cloud of dirt by scratching the ground while its rider chuckled smugly.

"Well, it appears we took a wrong turn past the bamboo forest! The last time I had someone shoot at me during a friendly visit, I was vacationing in the Liberty Isles!"

A chorus of horrific cackles rang out around Takeo, who felt impossibly small as a devious grin spread across the demon's bill.

"Humor aside, you have no idea just how offended I am. I simply wanted to get to know the locals, and yet you open fire on me like a madman!"

"Who are you, and what do you want?!" Takeo asked, literally snarling at the demon's grin grew wider.

"Well allow me to introduce myself: I am Chisayama, son of Orochi! And you have something I want."

Takeo felt his heart sink while the demon leaned closer to him.

"The child. _Give her to me._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another few days, another chapter! Looks like the action is about to pick up, now that nefarious forces have their sights set on this mysterious infant... looking back, I'm a bit worried that this scene is a bit too much like Moff Gideon's introduction in The Mandalorian (The "You have something I want" bit in particular) but overall I liked it! Now to give you guys voices to match to the characters...
> 
> Takeo: Paul Nakauchi, doing his Hanzo voice from Overwatch. It's the perfect "Grumpy old Japanese man" voice, ha ha.
> 
> Bakageta: The late great Robin Williams. He's a zany character and Robin's zaniness was what my mind interpreted his voice as.
> 
> Purin: Stephanie Sheh, basically doing her Hinata voice. Perfectly delicate and friendly! And maybe packing a dangerous edge to her as well...
> 
> Plum: Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, who's perfect at voicing snobby, rude older women with hearts of gold.
> 
> Chisayama: Gary Anthony Williams, doing the voice he gave this shark guy from Clone Wars: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo9JBN… Just kind of a nice sneaky, authoritative voice for a villain of his standing.
> 
> Emiko: Lauren Tom. Her voice as Amy from Futurama is pretty much what I had in mind for Emiko!


	4. A Deal With The Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chisayama, son of the Fell Serpent Orochi has decided to pay Takeo a visit. Revealing that he knows the old wolf is harboring that mysterious baby from beyond their star, he decides to strike a deal with Takeo that could result in him walking away with his life if he plays his cards right. But can he bring himself to follow through with it?

Takeo had never felt smaller than he did now. And considering that he had encountered a dragon and several individual demons over the course of his long life, he was no stranger to fear. Yet, none of those situations were as hopeless as this. Even if he had his axe and gun on him, there was no way he'd be able to fight his way out of such a large demonic horde. And their leader, this supposed "son of Orochi", knew about that mysterious little girl. He _knew._

"Ch-Child?"

"Yes, the child. A little girl with the largest, blackest eyes I have ever seen, dressed in a pretty pink kimono. She's about _this_ big," Chisayama said, measuring her height with his thumb and index claw down to the millimeter, "And is so small she could comfortably fit in... say, your pockets..."

A monstrous man dressed in the robes of a priest leered down at Takeo, and bent his freakishly tall body towards the bamboo cutter. Takeo took a few nervous steps back, growling quietly as his ears folded all the way back. 

"I-I have no idea what you are talking about!" Takeo shouted, hoping he could pass the tremble in his voice as one of rage, "Now leave my home!"

The horde jeered and booed at the wolf's unconvincing lie, and Chisayama condescendingly shook his head.

"Please, don't even bother trying to lie. You're _woefully_ bad at it."

Takeo flinched, and a horrible chorus of laughter echoed through the countryside.

"I..."

"Before you make an even bigger fool of yourself... stop and listen to me, if you will." Chisayama leaped off the back of his Ushi-Oni mount and approached Takeo, who took another step back despite being a head taller than the demon. "But first, do you mind if I come inside? You're obviously worried, and I think you'd feel better in the comfort of your own home."

 _'Never welcome a demon into your home!'_ was another one of his father's lessons that Takeo committed to heart. Not that he did a good job at it, since he had Bakageta and whatever demonic company he'd bring over running around the house, but none of them scared Takeo the way Chisayama did. Despite his meager size he carried himself with confidence, and had keen observational skills that surpassed even his own. And judging by the sway he had over that crowd of demons, many of which who were more imposing than him, his boasts of being the son of the legendary Yamata no Orochi likely wasn't hyperbole. In his heart, Takeo wanted nothing more than to stand his ground and die fighting to protect the sanctity of his home... but Chisayama didn't leave him much of a choice. A powerful wind whipped up right out of nowhere and blew Takeo off his feet and into his house, launching him clear across the room and leaving him in a heap on the kitchen floor. His cheeks burned with humiliation as his fall was followed by more boorish laughter, but Chisayama drowned it out by entering his home and shutting the door behind him.

"First off, allow me to say that this is quite the lovely home you have here." Chisayama said as he approached Takeo, who had gotten up on his feet and assumed a defensive stance. The demon was unconcerned with Takeo's aggressive body language and took his time taking in the scenery. "It's small to be sure, nothing compared to the palace I call home. But there's something to be said about living a quiet, humble life away from the hustle and bustle of a big city..."

Normally Takeo would be flattered, had his guest not decided to bring a party of malevolent demons to his doorstep. But he could only glare coldly at the home invader as he looked around at all of Takeo's various works: the bookshelf, various wooden sculptures, the end table in front of the living room's TV...

"Hmm... did you make all of these yourself, by any chance? While we were outside, I peeked into an open door and noticed this table, full of unfinished bamboo sculptures."

Noticing that Chisayama was now looking at the kitchen table full of unfinished works, Takeo nodded curtly. 

"Not all of them, but yes."

"You're quite the artist, I must say." Chisayama said. Noticing a wooden koi sculpture that was nearly finished, he picked it up and smiled. "I can't even remember the last time I got hungry looking at a statue!"

"I do not need your praise, _demon._ " Takeo snarled. Frowning, Chisayama set the sculpture back down.

"There's no need for such hostile bigotry, friend. I simply wanted to have a nice chat, nothing more! Unless, of course, you choose to escalate things..."

Growling in frustration, Takeo lowered his head and crossed his arms in bitter silence.

"Fine. Now what did you want?"

Chisayama smiled and went up to Takeo's side.

"Well, friend, as I said outside, I'm looking for a special little girl. And I know for a fact that you are harboring her, there's no use in pretending that you aren't."

Takeo sighed, defeated. "Yes, I am."

"Thank you for your honesty. There's nothing I detest more than a liar." Chisayama said, surprising Takeo with the sincerity in his tone. "Had my brother or my sister been in my place, they would have simply butchered you and stepped over your corpse to get the child. In fact, Retsuyama would likely make you suffer, first. But lucky for you, I see the value in mercy."

He rested a hand on Takeo's shoulder, causing the old wolf to flinch. But he dared not slap it away.

"What do you want the child for?"

Chisayama took a deep breath and looked back towards the door. "I won't bore you with the gory details of it all, but I believe she will be of great value to my kin. Ever since my father was slain, demons have lost much of the power and influence they once held over the Earth. I take it you know of the Age of Demons?"

Takeo nodded. His grandmother told him plenty of stories about that era: thousands of years ago, demons ruled over mortalkind with an iron fist. Their king, the Fell Serpent Orochi tormented them, allowing the hordes he commanded to kill and eat whoever they wished, and would even have a beautiful young maiden sacrificed to him yearly lest he personally annihilate the city or village she hailed from. But like with all tyrants, his rule wouldn't last forever...

"You're quite well-read, it seems! Unfortunately, you likely only know the biased accounts passed down to your fellow mortals. Accounts about how we'd kill, torture, and do so many other foul things to your kind."

Takeo glared at him. "Is that not what happened?"

"Oh yes, Father's demonic hordes killed plenty of mortals under his rule, but it wasn't as if we were doing so for the fun of it! We gave mortalkind plenty of leeway to do as they wished, as long as they didn't break the laws of the land in the process. And unfortunately, there were plenty of strong-willed mortals who sought to test our patience..."

"And what were those laws, exactly?"

"I said that I wouldn't bore you with the gory details, did I not? Trust me when I say that the mortals bought their misfortune and folly upon themselves. But you... you're not like them. You seem to be an intelligent, rational gentleman. Which is why I believe you will do the right thing, and give me the child! Once she ushers in the new Age of Demons, you and your friends in the other room will be under my personal protection."

Takeo gasped. _'How did he know about them?!'_

"But if you withhold her from me, my hordes and I will kill you without a shred of hesitation."

That was no idle threat, Takeo saw the killing intent in Chisayama's eyes as lightning crackled on the tips of his claws.

"But I understand that you might struggle to give her up. After all, you are a father, are you not?"

Realizing that Chisayama was looking at the dusty crib in the corner, Takeo snarled and shoved him.

"THAT IS OF NO CONCERN TO YOU!"

A quick jolt of electricity was all it took to knock Takeo to the floor. While the pain was brief, the sheer heat of it knocked the wind out of his sails and the old wolf was left reeling on the ground as Chisayama frowned down at him.

"Since I consider myself a merciful demon, I will do you a favor and turn the other cheek. But don't push your luck." He turned back towards the door. "My friends and I shall take our leave, and will return for the child tomorrow night. You have until then to make up your mind. Please, do not force us to kill you. It would be a shame to lose such a talented artist."

And so the demon took his leave, and in mere seconds the chatter of the demons outside silenced, and the air was filled with the proper sounds of the night once more. If it weren't for the residual burning all over his body, Takeo would almost have dismissed it all as some kind of twisted fever dream. In fact, he was still on the verge of doing so before Bakageta, Plum, and Purin all stepped into the kitchen with the mysterious baby in tow.

"They're gone, right?! Did all those demons hit the road?!"

"Y-Yes..." Takeo wheezed, coughing as he got back to his feet. His trembling legs almost gave out, but Purin allowed him to lean against her for support until he was able to stand by himself. "Their leader, Chisayama, he said that he needed the child-"

"To usher in a new Age of Demons. We heard." Plum said, her tone scornful as she looked down at the child in her hand. She was the only one not frazzled by that frightening encounter, and innocently sucked her fingers while absent-mindedly looking around the room. Takeo envied her ignorance. Assuming of course, that _was_ ignorance he was picking up, and not cold stoicism.

"So uh... I wasn't exactly alive for the first." Bakageta said, looking at his beautiful friends for guidance. "That Chisa-what's-it guy, was he being honest about it? Was it not as bad as the stuff I've heard about it?"

"I suppose he's telling what he imagines to be the truth. From what I recall, the city he ruled was more orderly than most." Plum said, grimacing, "But it's a very selective version of the truth, because it was Hell on Earth during Orochi's reign. You had demons burning down cities, capturing mortals and hunting them for sport, torturing them for fun, and... some things I can't even bring myself to talk about..."

The distant look in Plum's eye wasn't lost on Takeo. It was a look he was all too familiar with, as it was a trait shared by his father and grandfather. Both were military men, and had seen a number of truly horrifying things during their time in the Imperial army. Takeo had a feeling that if he got Plum to share any of her horror stories, he would find himself similarly traumatized.

"I know I'm not the craziest about mortalkind, but... I was once mortal myself, long ago. As was Purin."

Purin nodded, looking just as solemn as her companion.

"And we both still had plenty of mortal friends and family around that time. Some died once their time came, but most of them weren't so lucky."

Purin took Plum's hand, and they both sat in mournful silence until Takeo spoke up.

"I... I am truly sorry. I had no idea you lost so many people close to you..."

"It's okay." Plum said, now taking Takeo's hand. "But that's exactly why you _cannot_ give him the child. I wouldn't wish a second Age of Demons on even my worst enemies!"

"W-Wait, but Chisayama- Chisayama said he would kill us if we didn't give her to him!"

Bakageta gasped. "Takeo! Are you seriously about to just hand her over to him?!"

"Yes- No, I mean-!" With a frustrated snarl, Takeo swung around and punched a hole right through the wall. "I DON'T KNOW!"

"Mr. Yoshida..."

Purin walked over to Takeo and placed a hand on his shoulder. Despite how soothing her gentle touch was, Takeo shook it off.

"Leave me."

Looking to Plum for guidance, the other demon woman shook her head. Knowing that he was a lost cause, Purin accompanied her back to the bedroom. Bakageta lingered, almost as if he was going to say something, but reconsidered at the last second and hopped back to join them, with the baby in tow. Once he left, the rage that was subsiding roared back with a vengeance, and Takeo punched another hole in the wall before collapsing onto the ground, his hand throbbing in agony while exhaustion overwhelmed him. Too overwhelmed to deal with the moral dilemma Chisayama presented him with, Takeo laid down on his side and closed his eyes. And soon, sleep overtook him.

* * *

Takeo woke up to something tugging on his tail. Thinking it was Bakageta, the groggy old wolf yawned and bared his teeth before sitting back up. 

"Today is _not_ a good day to push me, Bakageta. I-"

To his surprise, it wasn't Bakageta... but rather, the infant he had taken in. She had his tail in her tiny hands and kept yanking, a small, sly smile on her little face as she did so. Takeo's expression softened, but he still frowned as he picked her up.

"You stop that."

The infant babbled as he set her back down, a good distance away from his tail. Then he looked away, and was surprised to see Purin kneeling at the kitchen table, munching on a peach in the darkness.

"Ah, Purin!"

"Good morning, Mr. Yoshida. Are you feeling better now?"

"I suppose I am, but... wait, morning?"

Indeed: while it was dark, a quick look out the window revealed that the sky was a very light navy, bordering almost on bright purple with orange sunlight peeking over the horizon.

"Goodness... I really just slept in a heap like that..."

"I'm sorry you had to do that," said Purin, "I argued with Plum to let you have the bed, but you were fast asleep so I decided against it..."

"Well you're my guest, are you not? It's only fair that you get the bed." Takeo stood up, and winced as he cracked his aching back. "I don't mind sleeping on the floor. It builds character."

He went to the fridge, and as he pulled out a bowl of miso soup and put it in the microwave, he was reminded of the dilemma Chisayama presented him yesterday. A dilemma that Purin had been thinking about too.

"So... have you made up your mind about-"

"No. I haven't."

As Takeo's soup warmed up, he leaned against the kitchen counter and growled softly, kneading his fingers against his aching temples.

"Mr. Yoshida, I-I don't want to be pushy, but you cannot in good conscience give her to those demons!"

"I KNOW! You think I don't know that?!" Takeo snapped, "Who knows what they'll do to her?! And if she really can usher in a new Age of Demons... all the death and suffering would be on my hands..."

"Then why do you hesitate?" Purin asked, situating herself to where she was sitting on her cushion before setting the child in her lap. "You seem to be a moral man, so why even contemplate handing the child to them?"

"You didn't see all the demons out there. Onis, Kappas, hellish beasts I have never seen before... and their leader is a son of Orochi, who rides atop a creature whose poisonous breath can wipe out entire villages should it desire! I am hopelessly outnumbered by them, and with all of your lives on the line should I defy them... what's the point of fighting back?! I don't like it, but if I surrender the child, then you, Plum... even Bakageta won't have to die over something you all had no control over."

Purin frowned down at the child, who stared back up at her forlorn visage. Confused by Purin's sadness, she ineffectively reached up towards her face and cooed quietly at her.

"I understand your intentions, but there's nothing honorable about sacrificing a child to the demons. Plum and Bakageta feel the same, so please don't let her die on our behalf!"

"She's doomed either way, Purin!" Takeo argued. "What, do you really think we even stand a ghost of a chance against Chisayama's forces?"

"Who said anything about fighting them?"

Takeo was shocked into silence.

"Mr. Yoshida, Plum and I come from noble blood! We have more money than we know what do with, and we can easily give you the funds you need to keep this child safe! We can buy a heavily fortified mansion in the city, hire bodyguards to watch her around the clock, and even keep a battalion of monks on hand to keep any demons at bay!"

Move to the city? The mere thought of it was incomprehensible to Takeo, but despite his own biases about city life vs country life, there was a far more pressing concern to worry about.

"You do realize that the closest city is 9 hours away, right? And that's assuming that we can make it there without _any_ stops! Chisayama will have ample time to catch up to us, and that's if he isn't waiting to ambush us if we flee..."

"We don't have a choice, Mr. Yoshida. As it stands, this is our best option. Isn't that right, little one?"

The infant let out a confused burble, and despite the dire situation they were in, Takeo could feel a slight smile form on the corners of his mouth.

"I suppose it is... but I can't shake the feeling that something terrible will happen once we leave this house."

Purin smiled deviously. "If the worst comes to pass and there are no other options, Plum and I will remind Chisayama how deadly cornered demons can be."

Her cold, predatory tone surprised the old wolf, as did the throaty cackling of the fanged maw on the back of her head.

"...very well. So when should we take our leave?"

"As soon as we can! I'll wake the others, and we'll get straight to work with loading your truck with as many necessities as we can find: food, water, clothes, weapons-!"

Takeo nodded and removed his now-warm bowl of soup from the microwave. He tilted the bowl to his mouth and slurped up a mouthful of invigoratingly hot broth.

"Understood. Thank you, Purin. And I apologize for making a scene last night..."

"This is a scary situation we're in, Mr. Yoshida! One can hardly blame you for being a bit overwhelmed! But no matter what happens, we'll face it together!"

Purin turned away, and for once Takeo wasn't scared to see the monstrous mouth on the back of her head. It flashed a cocky grin at him, and Takeo couldn't help but smile back. He was starting to get the feeling that Purin was much more than the dainty waif she presented herself as. And that theory would soon be put to the test, because unbeknownst to them, there was a monkey demon lurking just outside and hiding under a nearby window. A nasty, fanged grin spread across his blotchy red face, and he shook his head condescendingly.

"Kekeke... You _idiots._ "

He scampered off deep into the woods, eager to tell Lord Chisayama what he had heard...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I legitimately loathe this chapter with every fiber of my being, but for the sake of keeping to the spirit of NaNoWriMo I'm leaving it as-is. Still, I'm fucking disappointed with myself for putting something this low-quality out there. I really hope the following chapters will be better.


End file.
